Echolalia

Yesterday, I learned that there is an actual name for the thing that makes me want to run screaming from my 8yo autistic son...

Echolalia. :)


Definition: repetition of a word or phrase. Some autistic people and people with Asperger syndrome may use repetition as a method of allowing themselves more time to process language. A typical pediatric presentation of echolalia might be: a child is asked, "Do you want dinner?" the child echoes back "Do you want dinner?" followed by a pause and then a response, "Yes. What's for dinner?" In delayed echolalia, a phrase is repeated after a delay, such as a person with autism who repeats TV commercials, favorite movie scripts, or parental reprimands.


So by my best guess, I would be experiencing Post-traumatic Echolalia Syndrome. Or perhaps Anti-echolalia. Or Echolaliaphobia. Something like that. :)